


Not for the World

by 401



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Steve Rogers, Revenge, Vigilante, mission, nick fury needs a slap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-05
Updated: 2015-12-05
Packaged: 2018-05-05 01:57:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5356679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/401/pseuds/401
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky goes on a routine mission, but seeks revenge on Hydra and gets himself hurt. Steve tries to understand what is going through the soldier's mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not for the World

“I can’t believe you could be so stu…” Steve shook his head angrily and blew out a sigh.

“You’re safe now,” He changed his tone as he spoke, half to himself, slipping his fingers through Bucky’s hair again to pull out more of the tangled in shards of glass. His scalp was a mess, and Steve’s fingertips were slick with blood by the time he had reached the middle of Bucky’s head. The soldier barely winced, sitting stock still and staring at the repeated squares of the bathroom tiles.

“But seriously, Bucky,” Steve pulled a larger piece of glass from a gash behind Bucky’s ear, wincing on behalf of his partner, “Your mission was _nothing_ to do with Hydra, you can’t go all vigilante on me like this.”

Bucky did not reply, just ducked his eyes in shame at the obvious disappointment in Steve’s voice. The mission had been a simple one, set up for him by Fury to keep him busy more than anything else. The months without a military purpose, or some sort of order or command had started to unravel the soldier, so Fury had adopted him as an informal asset for SHIELD. Steve had been furious and Bucky had been determined. The mission had gone entirely to plan until Bucky had received intel of a remaining Hydra bunker in the area, manned and controlled by one of his old handlers, a medical researcher that had obviously worked his way up through the sick system. Bucky had taken it upon himself to make sure that no Hydra scientist in that bunker was left breathing. He had succeeded (if that’s what he should call it) but had come out worse for wear. Poor planning spawns collateral damage.

“You’re not going out in the field again, that’s for damn sure,” Steve grumbled, pulling out more gravel and glass before swabbing over the little red gashes with rubbing alcohol on a wad of gauze.

“You can’t…” Bucky attempted to protest but let his words sink away when he saw Steve’s jaw harden stubbornly.

Steve cupped the soldier’s face, feeling a little guilty as he gently scooped his hair back into place when he was satisfied there was no debris left. The cuts would heal up, providing Bucky left them alone.

 _Yeah, fat chance,_ Steve thought to himself, kissing Bucky on the forehead.

“I want you safe,” Steve groaned, putting away the gauze and throwing away the blood-soaked tissues and the paper towel with a worrying number of glass fragments piled on it like a crystalline bonfire.

“I want you safe and you’re out there blowing up Nazi scientists when you should be trying to get away from all that…bullshit.”

Bucky raised his eyebrows at the uncharacteristic profanity of Steve’s language and stood up slowly, cupping his bruised ribs with a cooling metal hand. That was the only thing it was good for.

“I can’t just be…civilian, Steve,” Bucky murmured, taking the mess from the Captain’s hands and finishing the tidying up.

Steve rinsed his hands and turned off the taps, looking at the brunet for a moment. He felt suddenly very hypocritical. Bucky had been even more active in the field than him in the years with Hydra, hell Steve was frozen solid whilst Bucky was being programmed and reprogrammed and tortured and deployed. He knew that if someone came up to him and told him to put away the shield and go civilian, he could not do it. It would be ten times as hard form Bucky.

“I’m sorry, Buck,” Steve stepped forward and pulled the soldier towards him.

Bucky stiffened. It took a lot to offend him, so Steve knew he’d gone wrong.

“Hey, I mean it,” Steve caught Bucky’s hands, keeping him in the small bathroom, “I didn’t think, I just got worried about you.”

Bucky nodded slowly and the tension in his shoulders dropped.

“I just wanted them to feel some of the fear they made me feel,” Bucky croaked out, sudden emotion in his voice that Steve did not expect.

The Captain pulled him forward again. This time, he stepped with him, stopping with his chest against Steve’s and his chin resting on his shoulder. Bucky closed his eyes and exhaled contently, physical and mental fatigue hazing his thoughts into a comfortable blur. Strong arms wrapped around his body and held him.

They wouldn’t let go for the world.

 

 

 


End file.
